Tennessee Edible Wild Plants
- Cattails. Cattails are tall, grass-like plants that grow close to water.
- Chicory. Chicory plants are often considered a nuisance weed in North America, but this strong-tasting plant is really quite beneficial to have around.
- Dandelion.
- Nettle.
- Plantain, Broad- and Narrow-Leaf.
What grows naturally in Tennessee?
Our Favorite Tennessee Native Plants
- ASTERS.
- BEE BALM. Plant this beautifully colorful flower to invite wildlife like butterflies, honeybees and hummingbirds to your garden.
- LEMON MINT.
- NORTHERN SEA OATS.
- SUNBURST.
- SWEET WHITE TRILLIUM.
- VIRGINIA BLUEBELL.
- WILD COLUMBINE.
What can I forage in Tennessee?
The woods of Tennessee are generally rich with foraging opportunity. I’ve found many black walnuts, persimmons, blackberries and other great snacks while hiking. There are also native pawpaws, allegedly, but I’ve never been lucky enough to find any.
What produce is native to Tennessee?
Raw or cooked Berries
- Black Huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata)
- Serviceberries (Amelanchier) species.
- Lowbush Blueberry (Vaccinium pallidum)
- Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum)
- Common Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
- Wild Strawberry (Fragraria virginiana) Small but very sweet red berries.
What fruit is native to Tennessee?
The pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is a small tree with pointed green leaves and dark burgundy flowers that bears large yellowish-green to brown fruit, similar in appearance to a mango. And while it’s known for its exotic flavor, pawpaw fruit and the trees they grow on are actually native to the eastern U.S. and Canada.
Does lavender grow wild in Tennessee?
Symphyotrichum novae. An array of native wild flowers enjoy the generous precipitation and hot, humid summers of Tennessee. From summer until the first frost, 2-inch wide flowers of lavender, blue or white with yellow centers attract bees and butterflies.
What grows in Middle Tennessee?
Verbena, coneflowers, swamp sunflowers, sage, lamb’s ear, common rue, tickseed, shasta daisies, butterfly weed and many other plants and flowers do very well in Tennessee gardens. Any number of vegetables will grow well there.
Is foraging legal in Tennessee?
Tennessee foraging laws
Foraging laws differ from state-to-state, but in TN — on TVA public land — it’s within your rights to gather reasonable quantities (the general rule is no more than 10% of what’s growing) of natural, renewable products. Think berries, fruits, herbs, nuts, mushrooms, driftwood + flowers.
What herbs are native to Tennessee?
Here are some herbs that thrive in Tennessee
- A flowering, mostly aromatic plant family that includes basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savory, marjoram, oregano, hyssop, thyme and lavender.
- A perennial plant in the mint family that’s native to the great plains of North America.
What fruits and vegetables grow in Tennessee?
Grapes, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, and apples are some of the fruits that grow well throughout Tennessee. Tomatoes, potatoes, peas, beans, squash, pumpkins, and cucumbers are some vegetables that do well, too.
What fruit is Tennessee known for?
Tomato
State Fruit: Tomato
The tomato, scientifically known as Lycopersicon lycopersicum, was designated Tennessee’s official state fruit in 2003 by the 103rd General Assembly (Public Chapter 154). While commonly considered, and commonly functioning as, a vegetable, the tomato is, botanically speaking, a fruit.
Can mango trees grow in Tennessee?
If you live in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10b through 11, you can grow mangoes.
What berries grow in Tennessee?
- Blackberries and raspberries (brambles) are a commonly planted small fruit in home gardens.
- Both thorned and thornless blackberries grow well in Tennessee.
- • summer-bearing, red-fruited.
- Fall-bearing, red-fruited raspberries produce both a fall crop and early summer crop.
- There are many varieties of brambles to choose.
Do lemon trees grow in Tennessee?
The best choices for Tennessee are cold-hardy varieties, and even these should be planted in pots or where there is some protection. Lemons, limes, sweet oranges and grapefruit are not good selections for Tennessee, as they are particularly susceptible to frost.
Are there wild blueberries in Tennessee?
Tennessee has a handful of native blueberry species that thrive in the wild, mostly in mesic woodlands but the most popular for home gardeners are selections of Vaccinium virgatum (formerly V. ashei), commonly called rabbiteye, a species that hails from a bit further south.
Can figs grow in Tennessee?
Figs make a welcome addition to most home fruit plantings. Even though they are adapted to the Gulf Coastal States, they may be grown in Tennessee in most years when some type of winter protection is provided. The planting site is more important with figs than with many other fruits.
Are sunflowers native to Tennessee?
Archaeological evidence uncovered from a site in Middle Tennes- see indicates that sunflower was being grown in Tennessee by Native Americans more than 4000 years ago (Crites, 1993).
Are tulips native to TN?
Native Range: Tulip poplars are native to Tennessee and range throughout the entire east-southeastern United States.
Are poppies native to Tennessee?
Occurs in nature from western Pennsylvania north to Wisconsin and Michigan, south to Arkansas, Tennessee, and southwestern Virginia, with isolated populations in northern Alabama and southern Ontario.
Can peaches grow in Tennessee?
Peaches are called the “Queen of Fruits. ” They are grown commercially in most areas of Tennessee except for the Cumberland Plateau and the higher elevations of East Tennessee. Most years the peach harvest in Tennes- see will extend from about June 1 through August.
Do cherries grow in Tennessee?
Prunus serotina var. serotina (black cherry) is the largest and most important cherry native to North America, and is, indeed, found growing naturally in Tennessee. This USDA Plant Profile shows the counties in Tennessee in which it is presently growing.